The present invention relates to the field of information handling systems, and, more particularly, to a multi-user video hard disk recorder for recording and replaying television programs.
Many television viewers use video cassette recorders (VCRs) to record television programs for later viewing, a process referred to as xe2x80x9ctime shifting.xe2x80x9d VCRs allow a viewer to record a television program at any time, and replay the program when it is convenient for the viewer. If several people wish to view the same recorded program, each can replay the program at his convenience.
However, there are several disadvantages associated with VCRs. VCRs are often difficult to program. A videocassette tape can only hold a few hours of programming. Thus, to record many hours of programming, a viewer must steadily feed the VCR with videocassette tapes. Later, the viewer may have to search through many videocassette tapes to find a desired program. If several people use the same videocassette tapes to record programs, then an individual may have to skip over other people""s recorded programs to find the program he wishes to view.
VCRs pose additional concerns for parents who wish to limit or screen their children""s television viewing. Some parents only allow their children to watch television during certain times of the day or week. However, once a television program has been recorded, a child can replay the program at any time. The only way to ensure that the child can not replay the program is to physically keep the videocassette tape from the child until the child""s allowed viewing time. In addition, some parents wish to control which programs, or types of programs, their children are allowed to view. However, if several family members record television programs on the same videocassette tape, a child may view programs that his parents do not wish him to view. This may happen inadvertently, as the child skips over other family member""s recorded programs, or on purpose, once the child realizes there are more xe2x80x9cinterestingxe2x80x9d programs recorded on the same videocassette tape.
Another problem with current VCRs and videocassette tapes is the problem of reusing tapes. For example, if a particular videocassette tape contains five hours of programming, it may be desirable to retain some of the recorded programs longer than others. The viewer may desire to retain the first two hours of programming for a week, the third hour of programming for two days, and the third hour of programming for a month. This quickly becomes inconvenient to track, and it is likely that the entire videocassette tape will simply be retained, as is, for at least a month. Thus, portions of tape that could be reused are not reused.
Consequently, it would be desirable to have a system and method for easily recording and replaying audio/video data, such as television programs. It would also be desirable to allow many people to easily use the same system, without having to shuffle through many tapes and skip over each other""s recorded programs. It would be desirable to be able to place restrictions on some users regarding the amount and type of television programs that may be recorded and viewed. It would be further desirable to be able to easily retain and erase recorded data.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a multi-user system, method, and computer-usable medium for recording and storing television programs on a hard disk, or other nonvolatile storage, for later viewing by users. Each user is identified by an associated user profile, and a program schedule, including a list of desired programs to be recorded, is maintained for each user. Each user can log into the system, at his convenience, and view any of the television programs that have been recorded for him. There is no shuffling through numerous videocassette tapes or skipping over other users"" recorded programs to find a desired television program.
The television programs are stored on a hard disk, or in another nonvolatile storage, preferably in a compressed format. An option may be used to specify how long to save a recorded television program before it can be erased and overwritten with another program. A master user or users, such as a parent or parents, can add a new user to the system by setting up a new user profile. The master user may set restrictions for the new user. For example, the new user may only be allowed to record and/or view a certain number of hours of television programming per week. The new user may only be allowed to view his saved television programs at certain times during the week, such as on weekends. The master user may also restrict the type of shows the new user can record (e.g., by using V-chip ratings), or prevent the user from recording particular shows or shows that air during certain time periods or on certain channels.
If a permanent copy of a television program is desired, it can be written to another medium, such as a compact disk, a DVD, or a videocassette tape. Security controls may be used to keep all others, or some selected others, from viewing a program that has been saved to another medium.
An advantage of the present invention is that users do not have to keep track of which tapes are being fed into a VCR to record which shows. Another advantage of the present invention is that there is no need to skip over other people""s shows to view a desired show. A further advantage of the present invention is that parents can have greater control over the amount and type of shows viewed by their children, and can limit their children""s viewing time to certain time periods.